Improved can for fluids



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES CLEMENTS, OE ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN, ASSIGN OR TO HIMSELF AND SEDG'WICK DEAN, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPRovED CAN Fon FLUlDs.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 36, 190, dated August l2, 1862.

.T0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES OLEMENTs, of Ann Arbor, in the county of Washtenaw and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Covered Cans; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact-description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure I is a sectional elevation of my in- I vention, taken in the lineas x, Fig. 2; Fig. 2, a

plan or top view of the same; Fig. 3,a detached View of one of the sockets in which the glass or other transparent material is placed.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the severaliigures.

This invention consists in providing a covered or close can with one or more openings, in which glass or other transparent material is placed in order to show the quantity of the iiuid substance within the can and also the kind or quality thereof. I

The invention is designed to obviate the trouble of tilting or shaking the can in order to ascertain how much fluid there is Within it, and also to avoid pouring any of it out in order to ascertain what kind of iiuid it is.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my invention, I will proceed to describe it.

A represents a sheet-metal can such as are I commonly termed acovered 7 or close 77can,

provided, as usual, withaspout or nozzle, B, and an opening,'0, to receive a cork or stopper. -This can is perforated at one 0r more points between its base and upper end, in which perforations metallic sockets D are fitted and permanently secured by solder or otherwise. In these sockets D glassE or plates formed of other transparent material are placed, one in each. These sockets may be formed of sheet metal bent or swaged in cup form, and having an aperture, a, made in their outer ends, the transparent plates E being se cured in the sockets by annular plates b, which are secured in or at the inner ends of vthe sockets, an annular packing, c, being'placed between the plates b and the transparent plates E, as shown in Fig. l. By means of these transparent plates fitted in sockets secured in the can, as described, it will be seen that the quantity of fluid within the can may be readily ascertained by simply looking through the transparent plates,and the kind of fluid which the can contains can also be ascertained.

The improvement will not materially augment the cost of construction, and will prove to be not only a great convenience in ascertain-l ing the quantity and kind of .fluid Within the can, but will also obviate accidents of frequent occurrence where inflammable or explosive substances are kept in cans-such as camphene, burning fluid,&c.-as such substances,

when the cans are known to contain them,will

not be brought in close proximity to a light or lire. Many persons annually lose their lives orare permanently injured and dwellings burned in consequence oi' these inflammable substances being poured out by mistake from cans in close proximity to a light or lire.

Having thus described myinvention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Pat- Vent- 

